


moonshine

by brandywine421



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), The Defenders (Marvel TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Space, Custody Arrangements, F/M, Fluff, Foster Care, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:15:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21812800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: The Earth is in crisis, the skies are charred and civilization is on the verge of 'worst case scenario' when international governments and heroes unite to send a portion of the population to the moon.  Daredevil sends his nearest and dearest in his place on the superhero committee - and gains a new collection of near and dear to worry about instead.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock, Matt Murdock & Franklin "Foggy" Nelson & Karen Page
Comments: 13
Kudos: 59





	moonshine

**Author's Note:**

> To the four of you that enjoyed this when I posted it for a few hours earlier in the week - thank for reading! I got totes discouraged and didn't think I could finish it - so I removed it and marinated it with attention and sparkles - and here it is in a completed, single serve form.

  
"You look like shit, Matt, are you sleeping at all? Is it - God, how bad is it - you can tell me, you know? You can tell me anything," Foggy blurted out.

He ran a hand over his face. Maybe he had skipped shaving a few days. "It's - all right. Busy, I just haven't been home for a couple of days."

"Missed your scheduled check-in, you're - not supposed to do that."

He didn't mention how many Foggy missed, how Karen's never responded to his regular transmissions at all. "Sure. How are things up there?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

He turned away from the camera and hoped Foggy wouldn't know he'd flinched. Damn.

"We're in the fanciest section of the whole goddamn space-base, all right? Decked out for a fucking hero, for someone on the superhero squad to have regular meetings for saving the world - is that what you want to hear?"

He heard tiny footsteps instead and reached down to snag the child's hand and heft her to his hip. "Pumpkin, it's late."

"Shh," she replied, placing a stubby finger over his lips. She leaned her head on his shoulders and draped her arms around his neck.

"Oh. Is that - oh."

He opened a bottle of water and gave her a sip before approaching the computer again. "What's the air taste like?"

"What?"

"On the space base," Pumpkin responded.

Honey wasn't as quiet as his sister but he was quick and Matt made space on his lap for the thin boy to latch on. They were clingy when he put them to bed, but it must have been worse than he thought if they were gate-crashing his transmission time.

"Probably tastes like a tin can," Honey said, pressing his ear against Matt's chest. He was teaching them all the bad habits but it was too late to turn back.

"It's artificial, yeah, but you get used to it. Did you - ever go on a plane?" Foggy asked the children.

"We came to America on a boat - shut up, I remember," Honey snapped at his sister.

"And then a submarine when the boat sank," Pumpkin picked up, prim even as she stuck out her tongue.

Marci's soft inhale of breath gave him a balm of relief. Good. Fuck. Foggy had Karen and Marci - fucking finally - 

"Better," Pumpkin whispered into his neck and he could feel her smile.

"Got a lot of reasons for giving up my seat but the lack of weather - you know me, Fogs, I need - " Matt said. 

"Earth's oceans are contaminated and the rain is acid," Foggy interrupted.

"Tides still turn and we have umbrellas," Honey said, snuggling in tighter. "We like it here best."

"He was gone three days, he has to sleep now. We promised the doctor," Pumpkin said. "Don't make him wait next time. He misses you and sends you all the love, good night," she finished. Honey zipped over to shut down the transmission before he could protest.

"No fair," he sighed. "I needed - "

"Three days, Mr. M," Darling yawned. Were all the kids in his bedroom? That would explain the snooping.

"Cuddle pile, Doctor's orders," Pumpkin whispered and Honey pushed his hand into Matt's tugging him toward his bed.

"Didn't I tuck you all in - " 

"Hush now," Darling said. He was too old to need tucking in but Matt treated him like the rest and had waited to make sure he was resting.

Pumpkin scrambled down and Honey released his hand and Matt let himself be tucked in by this cluster of lost children he'd been charged to protect.

* * *

> His mother hadn't brought it up and he respected her, slightly, for not taking advantage - but he maybe resented her, slightly, for leaving it to poor Sister Catherine and Father Beau.
> 
> They'd found him in the office, debating how he should feel about the moon tickets Natasha dropped off three days earlier. He had Foggy's voice running through his head - 'come out to the moon, we'll get together, have a few laughs', but Foggy was two doors away handling a stack of cases that Matt didn't have time between playing backup for the Avengers and Defenders.
> 
> Nobody seemed to understand that he had a day job and the world hadn't ended yet. They didn't understand that he couldn't protect his borough from the moon or a village in Tibet.
> 
> Father Beau would never be Father Lantom but he wasn't trying to replace him, he'd made his own place at Clinton Church. He wasn't scared of Daredevil and he didn't judge Matt, usually, so he was perfect for what Matt needed.
> 
> Sister Catherine was a wild card for seeking him out. The nun didn't have much use for rowdy blind orphans and less use for the adults they grew into so her playing wing-nun to Father Beau was unexpected. He wondered if she'd finally gotten enough support to dismiss him from the church congregation.
> 
> "Father, Sister, is everything all right?" Matt asked, standing up to greet them when Karen directed them to his office. He had a rush of panic that something had happened to Maggie but their heartbeats weren't panicked.
> 
> "That's relative in these times, isn't it?" Father Beau replied, shaking his hand firmly. "Can we have a moment of your time?"
> 
> "Of course," he said, closing the door and shutting off the sound from the office. He hated the soundproofing, at first, but he understood why it was necessary. He kept his window cracked so he wasn't completely cut off. "How can I help you today?"
> 
> Sister Catherine cracked her knuckles, a nervous habit he remembered too well. "I have never made a secret of my - distaste - with your lifestyle, or your father's - but - we need your help."
> 
> "What kind of help? Does someone need legal - " he started, tiptoeing around her confession.
> 
> "Sister," Father Beau warned her. 
> 
> "The government is sniffing around the children," Sister Catherine stated.
> 
> His mother would have said something - 
> 
> "What she means is - "
> 
> "They took three from St. Joseph's in Brooklyn last week, wiped the files clean before they had a chance to box up their belongings," Sister Catherine cut off the priest. "You mother may want to keep you on a leash where she can watch over you - but she knows better, it didn't work with your father and it's never going to work for you."
> 
> "Matthew," Father Beau tried to intervene when Matt's expression shifted.
> 
> "Is that why she's not bring this to me?" Matt asked Catherine.
> 
> "You're working with those superheroes, she doesn't want to bother you," Sister Catherine replied after a beat.
> 
> "Hell's Kitchen is my priority, Daredevil's too," Matt said. "I haven't heard about any missing children or government intervention - St. Joseph's is sure they were taken by our government?"
> 
> "They came with child services, they're working with them - raiding private files, looking for - something," Sister Catherine said, softening her tone.
> 
> "Something. What kind of something?" Matt asked.
> 
> Father Beau sighed. "Magic."
> 
> Oh. What?
> 
> "The Vatican's asked for all parishes with magically-inclined parishioners to report in," Father Beau confided. "Sure, let the scientists do their moon farm, do all the science - but quite a few people are trying to help in other ways."
> 
> "With magic. That's not going to end well, is it?" Matt considered when there was no sign of lying. "Children are off limits."
> 
> "I told Sister Maggie that you would want to know," Sister Catherine mumbled.
> 
> Matt turned to the old woman. "Regardless of what you may think, Sister Catherine, she doesn't give me assignments or share random gossip, that's not how it works for us - it's not how it worked with Father Lantom. My sins are mine, alone," he added.
> 
> He sensed her flush but didn't apologize. "Would magic be anywhere in the records? How would they track the - magically inclined?" 
> 
> "For most, not all, it manifests between the ages of 5 and 10. It's a simple charm to detect it, a simple spell to activate it and - years to learn how to use it," Sister Catherine whispered. "It's not right, they can't just pick and choose - they can't take our children."
> 
> "You've given me a lot to go on, I need to make some calls, can I come by - " Matt started, all thoughts about escaping to the moon pushed aside.
> 
> "We're expecting a visit tomorrow, there are two children - " Father Beau interrupted.
> 
> Shit. "Then it's probably best you came by during work hours. Perhaps Sister Maggie can use her key to bring by my groceries and - clean up in case I have guests."
> 
> "Does she do that normally?" Father Beau hesitated.
> 
> "No, but she threatens to list me on the 'needs home visit' roster all the time, it would make the other sisters laugh, at least," he said, pulling several folded bills from his wallet and sliding it across the desk. Sister Catherine snatched it before Father Beau could question it. "It's a temporary fix until I figure out what's going on."

* * *

_"He's a punk ass bitch and I'm going to kick him in the balls the next time I see him."_

Foggy, Karen and Marci looked up in surprise at the voice. Natasha, Black Widow Wow, Romanov dropped her tray on their table and sat down. "Um, hi?"

"You gave him the tickets," Karen accused.

"Damn right, I didn't want to be stuck up here alone with all these assholes," she replied. "He's not answering my calls, I need to piggyback off one of yours."

"Hold that thought," Marci told her, turning to Karen with a 'you in danger, girl' flip of her hair. "You didn't have to come, you could have kept your gas mask and water purification tablets and ungrateful little ass in New York if all you were going to do here was bitch. We have a chance to help here - a chance we wouldn't have down there and you're - "

"I'm sorry," Karen blurts out, red-faced. "Marci, I'm sorry."

"Prove it. Sorry, go ahead, Ms. Romanov," Marci said, settling back into her seat.

Natasha smiled and patted her hand. "I could use you. Wanted Matt here to play bullshit detector, but maybe you'll do."

"I don't think Hell's Kitchen was as buttoned-down as he thought," Foggy admitted. "Had a couple of strays pop up on his last call, looked - tired."

"Kids?" Natasha asked under her breath, relaxing visibly when he nodded. "Fuck, maybe he's on top of it already."

"On top of what? I have a transmission scheduled in half an hour, I've been giving him the silent treatment so I know he'll answer," Karen offered.

"Earth wasn't as buttoned-down as the politicians thought," Natasha deferred. "I need him to get with Dr. Strange - "

"The children mentioned a 'Doc' had been by," Marci said.

Natasha sighed, but it was an optimistic one from what Foggy knew about the spy. "Maybe I'll settle for punching him in the face instead of the balls."

"In Matt's defense, he probably doesn't keep his computer on all the time, he was very clear about us sticking to the regular schedule so he wouldn't miss our calls. And in our defense, we're not blind ninjas, but like Marci said - we'd like to help," Foggy said.

"Then come to the assigned meetings," Natasha replied flatly. "He got a ticket for himself and his team - and the nurse has been at every meeting."

"Nurse? Who else did he give a ticket?" Karen asked. Foggy didn't know there were four tickets - of course he wouldn't have let one go to waste. "Claire?"

"No, some lady from Brooklyn, doesn't talk much, tagged in on the medical squad. Point is, we need brains and people that can be trusted to run these fucking plans. They didn't send me to space for nothing - yearly rotation my _ass_ ," Natasha spat out.

"You track the nurse, find out how she knows Matt," Marci delegated to Foggy. "Karen and I will harass Matt with the Black Widow."

"And we'll all be at the meeting," Karen nodded. "Thanks for explaining it, Matt didn't really tell us much."

Natasha shifted. "I didn't tell _him_ much, knew he'd weasel his way out of it."

* * *

"You gonna tell me where you were?" Darling cornered him after breakfast when the twins were safely at school and he was done with his lessons - had probably been done for _days_ with the generic lessons.

"Your Dad didn't tell you?" Matt replied after a beat. He didn't want to start a fight, definitely not with Darling, but - 

"He said to ask you."

 _Great._ "I was helping a friend take out a rogue militia in Virginia," he said honestly. Darling's heartbeat skipped then - settled?

"Oh."

"What did you think I was doing?"

Darling slumped down on the counter. "Finding more kids."

"Oh. Been letting the Doc handle that, the Sisters bring me the locals but - did you hear something?"

Darling waved his hand. "No, no, just - Mom says it's cabin fever, I just, feel like I should be doing something more."

"Not fighting rogue militias, if I never step foot in a forest again it'll be too soon," Matt muttered. "I know I overuse you as a babysitter - " he raised a hand before Darling could protest. "But I don't trust many people on Earth right now to be able to protect them. I can't take you with me on some - jobs, but that doesn't mean you're not playing a huge part."

"Partners, not sidekicks," Sweetheart called from the back.

"And where have you been?" Matt yelled back, waiting for the girl to swagger in. He wasn't sure of any of their real ages, or names, or why they liked bugs so much, but Sweetie and Darling had cops somewhere in their history and knew how to stay off grid when it mattered.

"Hanging out with your mom, she was worried," Sweetheart said, hugging him hard around the waist. "I thought you told her when you went on jobs."

"So you stalked my mother until she got worried? _Foul_ ," Matt said, smoothing his hand over her unevenly chopped hair. 

"He wasn't looking for a kid, he was helping his boyfriend," Darling announced.

"Not my boyfriend," Matt sighed. God, Frank would never touch him again if he thought Matt was talking about it.

"Well, your girlfriend was with the Doc so - " Sweetheart chirped.

"Not my girlfriend." God, Jess would kill him before she would admit to their sporadic encounters. "You're both too young to know that sometimes adults can just be friends." He couldn't let Frank or Jess know about the kids under his roof yet, either - not until he knew more about everything.

"Whatever," they said in unison, giggling.

"Oh, by the way, I changed your lesson plans and added some higher level classes, so depending on what kind of feedback I get about the three days away - we can discuss some perks or setbacks soon."

Both kids lit up with excitement, and probably a little panic from Sweetheart who couldn't seem to stop hoarding perishable treats where rats could get them. "Yeah?"

"Maybe, I've got to make some calls right now because Sweetie's a snoop, but it was on the table before I got extra work dropped on me," Matt replied.

"Sorry," they said together, not giggling.

"Set up the computer for me, please, I'm due a transmission if I'm not stuck to the phone for the next hour," he conceded.

* * *

  
"Hey, Matt," Karen said when the screen clicked on for her promised 15 minutes a day of Earth contact. "Sorry, well, for a lot of things. Hey."

"Hey. Me, too. It's good to hear from you," Matt said. He looked tired, but that was normal so she didn't know what Foggy had been talking about until he leaned back and she could see the lines of fatigue and probably bad air drawn on his face in the light.

"Marci's here, and our new friend, Natasha, she seems to think you're avoiding her calls."

Matt's eyebrows went up behind his glasses and the spy seemed to accept it as proof that he hadn't been doing it on purpose.

"Nelson says you're still low-tech and probably don't keep your computer on. Can you schedule me in?" Natasha asked.

"Sure, Doc said you were safe and 'installed at moon central' or something equally pretentious-sounding," Matt replied. "Why are you hijacking Karen's feed?"

"A little Foggy-Bear mentioned you had some strays, maybe I need someone to watch my cat."

"You took your cat to the moon," Matt replied.

Karen glanced at Marci when a small shape dropped into frame - a woman, no - a kid. At first she thought she was on a rope but it seemed too thin, like a translucent cord. The girl plucked a sealed protein bar from the counter and tucked it into her white hoodie as she dangled over the kitchen.

"Got a spider problem?" Marci asked. Oh, Karen got it - she was like Spider-Man, just in a white hoodie and not a black one. 

"Other than the one you're sitting with?" Matt replied. "Sweetheart, is it an emergency?" he called over his shoulder.

The Spider-Child froze in place, only spinning a little on her web. "Um. No?"

"Darling?" Matt sighed.

Karen started to question the endearments until a dark shape - the Spider-Man she knew about - appeared beside the girl in his dark hoodie. Damn, he was a kid, too, slightly older than the girl.

"Doc says we're supposed to be tracking magical children to keep them from some kind of witch cult but keeps bringing me spiders instead. Do you know how much a growing spider eats?" Matt gestured behind him as the kids dropped to the floor.

Natasha leaned into the screen even though Matt couldn't see them anyway and the microphone wasn't on the monitor. "Matt, I need you to listen. The Spiders are important as shit. There's one in Queens that _absolutely_ has to be brought in."

"Doc brings me the strays outside of the Kitchen, he's got a connection with child services," Matt said. "Have you told him?"

"He's doing something in Brazil I'm not cleared to ask about and this ' _children in peril_ ' thing just hit my radar, what, six hours ago?" Natasha threw up her hands before covering her face. "I hate space, I hate the moon, I hate - "

" **Nat**. I'll get the kid. Whatever you need," Matt interrupted in a soft voice.

"I **needed** you to come to the goddamn moon with me," Natasha snapped.

Karen winced and when she looked at the monitor, the two Spiders, Darling and Sweetheart were huddled at his side, glaring at the camera. Matt didn't flinch, only tilted his head back in a taunting smile. "But then who would you call when you needed a favor you couldn't ask anyone else?"

"Back up, what were you saying about magic?" Marci asked suddenly.

"There's a whole team working the magic angle, but it's just started coming through that some factions are tracking kids to try and use their power to do bigger spells," Natasha explained.

"Nah, the Sisters clued me into that before you left Earth, still don't know who's funding it but it's why I'm running a youth hostel," Matt said.

"Doc says we don't have magic the way Pumpkin does, but we still set off the charms," Darling said. "My mom knows about it."

"Does your mom happen to be a nurse?" Karen asked.

Darling beamed. "She didn't want to go to the moon either, but Dad doesn't trust anybody in the military right now and trusts her to give him the real scoop on what's happening."

Natasha raised her hand to the screen but dropped it before she touched it. Poor woman was really not handling moon-distance that well. " _Matt_. Tell me where to send the Intel."

Sweetheart filled the screen, a blonde pixie of a girl with pink and black nails. "Use this email address, it's encrypted and doesn't have a tracker."

"We'll add it to his queue, he's not so savvy with the voice controls," Darling added when the girl cleared the screen and an address popped up.

"Foggy had everything set up for you before we left," Karen scolded Matt.

Darling and Sweetheart looked suddenly guilty and Matt cuffed both their shoulders. "Go entertain yourselves, I'll be done in ten minutes. They let Frank's hacker tweak the laptop for so called security reasons," he explained when the kids scurry off with a wave.

"Good," Karen and Natasha said together, sharing a nod of solidarity.

"You're associating with the Punisher again? Foggy's going to kill you," Marci groaned.

Matt shrugged. "Couldn't chase him away when I've got spiders and twins to look after - but he doesn't know about the kids. He's got his own messes to deal with, it's a rare thing to see him."

"We've been gone two months and you have four kids - that's also rare," Marci accused.

"The big ones have parents, just needed disappearing - the little ones, _well_ , the Sisters might take them back if Honey won't stop punching his classmates," Matt admitted.

 _"Pumpkin would never allow it!"_ Darling called from offscreen.

"You guys are keeping your ears open for me, right? No offense, Natasha, but - "

"We are now, we're finally all on the same page even if we're not on the same planet," Karen replied.

 _"The moon's not a planet!"_ Sweetheart called.

"I know what she means," Matt smiled. "Time's almost up - will you call again?"

"Schedule is set," Karen promised.

* * *

He left a couple of messages asking for backup but Jess had her 'too angry to talk' voicemail on and Frank was a long-shot on a good day; but he had the new kid's details and a meeting set up with the aunt that was about to lose him.

He'd managed the other times, with the Sisters and eventually Doc Strange's help, to get ahead of the agency that was collecting 'special' children. They started with orphans but had moved on to targeting all children displaying positive 'charm' results. Matt just had to make sure his paperwork was filed before theirs - the bureaucracy they were using to take children was Matt's day job and he was damn good at it. As long as he could stay a step ahead, get the kids unlisted and unreported as missing - he could keep on top.

Optimism should have been his first warning sign.

* * *

The afternoon came back to him in pieces but nothing seemed to fit together, not in a way that made sense.

The kids were safe. He knew that. It was true, it had to be true. Good kids. They'd follow instructions. _Follow_. He'd been _followed_.

_"Oh, hiya, Stud, come here often?"_

He raised his hand - unbound - un-roped - he was in his suit - work suit - tailored because Karen made him spend money on something other than food and shelter - shit, had he been found out?

_"What's a cool cat like you doing in a place like this?"_

"What kind of place is this?" he asked, warily checking his mouth, nose and ears - not bloody but not - full power, either.

_"I'd like to say it's an asshole convention but there are a lot of dicks hanging around, too."_

He felt around, expanding his senses through the pain with only the one heartbeat close enough to bring danger. Tiled floors, open walls - a cell with bars - but not a jail, a holding cell of some kind on the upper floor of a building - a sparsely used building filled with - science equipment?

_"Aw, don't pass out on me again, you've been asleep for days already - "_

"Days?"

_"Had you doped up in medical for a while, I guess they didn't know there were bringing in a regular dude and fucked you up a little more than advertised. Worried about your eyes, I think - you seeing okay?"_

If they'd drugged him it would explain his sluggish instincts - well, the ribs and bruises could be handled, but the brain fog was a problem. "Sure. They take my blood? Fingerprints?"

 _"Pretty sure they didn't kill you_ because _of your prints, they were after something else. You don't have whatever they want so they dropped you here with me."_

"And you are?" If they ran his prints, depending on the database, it would switch on a totally different backup plan.

 _"I am currently useless,"_ the man replied.

He inhaled deeply, fighting the antiseptic and chemicals stuck in his membranes. "Mutant, bloody as shit but - are you a paraplegic?"

_"Eh, multiple amputee - but I'll be right as rain in a week, just - "_

"Keep talking then, because that means we aren't walking out of here together." He pushed himself to a sitting position. "Because I can't stay here a week."

_"Uh, nobody's * **ever** * told me to keep talking, Dude, who the fuck are you?"_

* * *

He staggered into his apartment, exhausted and - exhausted was good enough after climbing down a building with a half-dead guy on his back - and then hiking across town - exhausted worked - 

A body appeared in front of him and he'd only met the new kid once - once was enough to not start a fight with his newest assignment. "Peanut."

"Mr. M - what - Wade?" Peanut whispered. "Oh my God."

"Oh snap, plot twist - " Deadpool gasped. "What are you doing here - "

"Can you - thanks," Matt said, dropping to his knees when the new kid pulled the weight from his back and took care of the man-parts that had been cheering him along on his journey home.

"Petey, just, do whatever he says - it's been a long walk, yeah?"

"Where are your arms - and legs, shit, I'm gonna be sick - "

"Darling? Sweetheart?" Matt called out, taking a shot in the dark that they hadn't listened to the plan and were within - 

_"Matthew."_

No - if Sister Maggie was here then - Pumpkin's hand, then Honey's were suddenly on his face.

"Give him some space, Peanut - help, oh dear - " Maggie hesitated.

"I'm on it, take care of - Mr. M," Peanut replied.

"We don't like your plans," Honey said.

* * *

"Witches, I think," Matt said. "Caught me, drugged me - had a lot of thugs."

"You're a moron," Sister Maggie whispered. "Sister Catherine and her little gaggle put wards on all the children that stay with us, she knew you were taken. The wards are why she's been angry at me for so long - she's always known who you were to me - would have blessed you when you were born instead of - they didn't catch the devil?"

"The lawyer," Matt said, swallowing thickly. "I don't have magic."

"No, but you have your daddy's heart, a hero's heart - the kind that needed protection before - she would have liked to have known you before your parents botched the gig," Sister Maggie sighed. "Who's the - person - in the bathtub?"

"Don't know for sure, who's the lady touching my hair?" Matt replied.

"Oh, I'm not sure how the names work. I'm - Peanut's aunt? But the man in the tub is Deadpool, he's been helping us since the heroes went to the moon."

"Does he need medical care?" Sister Maggie asked.

"His parts grow back, just takes a few days, P - Peanut knows what to do," she said, scrubbing her blunt nails through his hair to distract him from his mother's patient stitching.

"Why are you all here? Is it - "

"It's safe," Sister Maggie reassured him. "Everyone followed instructions, your paperwork went through and you have a new office manager."

"And a new safehouse," Honey chirped, a lump against his hand. "She has lots of snacks, even Sweetheart was impressed."

"Peanut's settled in with the others, you've been gone five days, we've had plenty of time to - " Sister Maggie continued until he reached out for her hand.

"Thank you."

"No more solo," Pumpkin said. "Doctor's orders, and the cops and the moon people."

"And the nuns," Sister Maggie added. "The kids are safe, the office is under control and apart from mandatory bedrest and scheduled lectures - your only task is to set up a network to watch Daredevil's back as well as the strays he's hiding in his apartment. Everyone was safe but you - and that's unacceptable."

Damn. "I made two calls."

"They were late," Honey whispered. "We chased them away."

He started to breathe easier and realized he'd missed the prick of the muscle relaxant. "Full medical proxy," Sister Maggie hissed. "You need it for the broken ribs, it's protocol."

"I didn't say anything," he murmured. Rubber soles skidded into the room.

"Em," Darling whispered. "You're okay."

"Doesn't look okay," Jefferson, Darling's father, he assumed anyway, he wasn't supposed to know anything of course. "Status?"

"It's contained, but take the Devil off the board for a few weeks," Sister Maggie answered. "Thanks for bringing home Darling, you didn't have to come in."

"Promised Sweetie's dad I would lay eyes on him, sending her in on my way out. Call me, please, when you're mobile."

"Will do," Matt replied. He didn't like engaging with the actual parents - it would be another thing he'd have to deny in case of arrest, like the names and ages - but he contacted them via burner phones on almost a daily basis.

"The wards on you held and now Sister Catherine knows the group that's seeking out the children. She hates the Doc but she's working with him."

"I need - "

"To sleep, she's only telling you so you'll believe that it's all under control," Darling said. "You had failsafes for your failsafes and they're all working fine, okay?"

Sweetheart's rabbit heartbeat caught his attention before her voice did. The kids were safe - everyone was safe. "We're still invisible and you're still just a local lawyer known for sticking your nose in the wrong places - Dad says your reputations are still solid."

"So sleep, we'll listen to Sister Maggie until the Doc gets back and we're allowed to act up again. You won't want to miss that," Darling said.

He had a final frantic scan of the room but - nobody was scared. Worried, confused - tired - everyone was tired - but no fear.

"I lost my glasses," he sighed. "Foggy always ordered them for me but I don't - "

"Oh my God, just close your eyes, someone will take the transmission for you if the alarm goes off," Sweetheart cut him off.

* * *

Foggy forgot all about his rage when Matt's battered face filled the screen. "Oh, buddy, what's going on?"

"So many things," Matt replied, sinking back into a mountain of pillows. At least the asshole was in bed. "Got that kid Nat wanted, got picked up as a 'troublesome lawyer' by a coven of well-meaning witches - and inherited a live-in bodyguard who allegedly will have four functional limbs by the end of the week."

"I don't understand any of that," Foggy said honestly. "Everyone's okay?"

"Getting there. Kids are fine, just me and the new guy that got busted up. Doc's chasing a big lead - how's the moon - tell me what I missed," Matt said.

Foggy scrubbed his hand across his face. "Matt, please tell me you understand we're on the moon in a completely controlled environment - we are all fucking fine. The algae's making fresh oxygen, we have fresh fruit because the first berry harvest went through without a hitch and Karen's possibly dating one of the Wakandian diplomats."

Matt smiled and Foggy remembered his job - he was the BFF, totally supportive best friend of the biggest asshole in Hell's Kitchen. "Thanks. It's a mess here. I needed to hear something - not messy."

"Fair play says you have to tell me something now, messy or not," Foggy said, trying to coax out new information.

"I got jumped in Queens waiting for a bus," Matt said. "Doc says I shouldn't feel too bad since they were witches and shit, but I still feel like - "

"A tired guy that's working his ass off?"

Another smile, thank God, things must really be better.

"Anyway, all my backup plans paid off, the Sisters, the cops and the wizards had everything smoothed over by the time I got out. The kids are handling it better than I am - they didn't even need me around."

Foggy doubted that was true. "None of the Defenders, hell, fuck - not even Frank was around?"

"I was working my day job, didn't think I'd need backup for Queens - dying planet or not. Frank and Jess know I've got kids now, Pumpkin sent all the rats on the block after him when he turned up to check with Sister Maggie. He's probably pissed at me."

"I thought it was casual," Foggy said. Giving relationship advice was his favorite part of his BFF duties.

"It was, but he's been out of the city so I've been seeing Jess but - she drinks so much and - I haven't gotten any action from anyone since the twins moved in, and don't plan on getting any with the nosy spiders around."

"You need to call them both, Matt. I get that you're balancing a lot of people's secrets right now, and that's just going by your kids' names but you have a tendency to misread signals sometimes," Foggy said.

"They're my friends," Matt said in a half-hearted pout.

"Then they would want you to call them," Foggy replied. "Look, you're the only person other than my Mom that has a link for moon transmissions, I can't really be calling around to make sure you're okay - what are you even thinking?"

"I gave up thinking for Lent," Matt lied, flopping his hand across his face dramatically. 

"Of course you did," Foggy sighed.

"I already promised to reconnect, I'm working from home - for all my jobs for the next week or so. Ribs - " Matt started.

"You're medicating? So proud, seriously, can you hear how proud I am?" Foggy asked.

"Whatever, Sister Maggie is a gift compared to the other Sisters lately. God, I miss you guys."

"We miss you, too."

Matt fumbled with the blanket for a moment. "She hired an office manager, a temp - it wasn't my idea but please don't get mad."

"Dude, the fact that Hell's Kitchen still has a functioning justice system right now is still a little mind-boggling for me - I don't care who you put on the payroll if it's helping you get by. Not like I'm bringing in any cases."

"Okay. The courts are only open a couple of days a week now that the government's on permanent standby - but we have plenty of clients, plenty of paperwork and motions to file to keep them out of the courthouse on those days."

"Then working from home sounds like a great plan, best one yet," Foggy said. "Where are the kids?"

"Around. Pumpkin and Honey are at St. Agnes for school, Darling and Sweetheart are running errands with the Doc and Peanut is closing down the office with May."

"May gets to keep her name?" Foggy joked.

"I have no idea what I'm doing, Fogs," Matt sighed. "She'd already told everyone before - "

"Hey. I'm pretty sure you know every single one of their names, but I think you'll be okay if you let yourself say hers - she's an adult, right?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah. God."

"Agreed. Hey. You're okay so I'm okay, okay? Let's just - be happy with okay."

"I can do that," Matt promised.

* * *

"House meeting," Matt announced when he'd been freed from 'lying flat and breathing' and ambushed the children gathered around the kitchen island.

"Battle stations," Honey murmured and Matt was proud of the teamwork and solidarity as all of them switched seats. Even Peanut climbed onto the last stool without being assigned.

He approached Pumpkin and scanned her for anomalies - clean, not hungry, hair brushed, clothes buttoned, no bruises or bodily injuries he could sense. "Status?"

"Optimal!" she grinned, poking him in the side.

He moved on to Honey, pausing at his hair. "Who gave you gel? Are you old enough to put gel in your hair?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to," Honey replied with a grin to match his sister.

"No reports from the nuns while I was away?" Matt asked.

"We were on high alert so we were extra behaved," Honey nodded firmly.

Sweetheart was wearing one of Matt's hoodies but he didn't question it when she admitted to skipping her assignments all week - home schooling was one thing, end of the world education certificates were something else - so she got a hug to warn her not to do it again.

Darling stopped him before he got his questions out and put both hands on Matt's shoulders instead. "Mr. M. Remember how you're the only person who's comfortable with nuns?"

"Yes, like I remember you and Sweetheart are the only people comfortable with cops," Matt countered.

"We respectfully request you find another set of minders to take over our care and feeding if this happens again - none of us know the prayers and - " Darling started. "Your mom is really mean when she's worried."

"Understood," Matt said, embracing the kid. "Sorry, was it awful?"

"So awful," Darling lied.

"How can I make it better?"

"Mac and cheese counts as a vegetable when you're in charge," Sweetheart offered.

"Done," Matt promised. He turned to the new stool. "Now, Peanut, is it?"

"Yeah, I mean, yes, sir?" 

"None of that. Sorry I didn't get to brief you myself, how are you settling in so far?" Matt asked.

"The nuns are - strange, but Darling and Sweetie say it's not like that when you're home. Also, the names are weird but if it means I get to call Deadpool 'Ducky' then it's completely worth it."

"If it keeps us away from creepy witches, it's already worth it," Sweetheart added.

"And you're okay with not staying with your Aunt all the time?" Matt urged. That was the trickiest part - convincing these superpowered pre-teens that their familes were safer without them nearby.

"Oh, yeah - you took care of her, too. D - Ducky couldn't disappear us the way you did - "

"Where is Ducky?" Matt asked.

"He set up a tent on the roof to keep watch, now that he's full-size again, he doesn't fit on the bunk beds," Peanut said.

"Okay, I'll work on that, too. I might have some guests today, and some transmissions that I need to take but I have to atone for leaving you guys unattended for too long so - "

"We can stay home and you'll make mac and cheese and ice cream?" Sweetheart perked up.

"I'll have to check the fridge but, yes," Matt agreed.

Darling spoke up. "And we can meet your friends?"

"You'll probably be better off with the nuns, but I trust them with my life, so we'll see if I can trust them with yours now that they're all up in my business," Matt said.

Peanut cleared his throat. "Um, Ducky, kind of, traded shots with the Punisher last night, but they figured it out."

"We'll totally behave for fake cheese," Pumpkin promised.

"Get Ducky for me, great job making him boil instant coffee on the roof, A plus for hospitality," Matt grinned as the kids scrambled away when dismissed.

"You're not mad about the shooting?" Peanut hesitated.

"Also counting that as an A for hospitality - but he's got to follow the rules, no guns inside the apartment and none of my kids are ever to be near a possible fatality. They've seen enough death between them and I intend on keeping my promise to make sure they don't see any more under my watch."

Deadpool was - wow - much bigger with all his limbs. "I got reamed out by the little ones already, but wow, how do you keep Hell's Kitchen under control without using deadly force?"

"Very delicately," Matt replied. "I can't trust you with the kids if - "

"May reamed me out, too, I'm on board. Whatever you're doing - I want to help. You didn't have to haul my torso across town and - even if I didn't owe you, I'd still want to help," Deadpool said.

Matt slid a mug of coffee across the counter. "Then welcome to the team, Ducky."

* * *

"Shit. I was hoping Castle was full of shit, but - shit," Jessica said when she stepped into the apartment. Frank's thundering heartbeat behind her, even if he was pointedly silent.

"You let people talk that way around the children?" Ducky asked, covering Pumpkin's ears. Honey promptly bit him and snatched his sister to safety on Matt's couch cushion.

"Hey, Jess. Meet Pumpkin and Honey, who are mine, and the ones here on loan - Darling, Sweetheart and Peanut. Ducky's my new bouncer," Matt introduced.

"We've met Ducky," Frank growled. "What happened to you? Your message said - "

"He was waiting for a bus, the people that had been following me took him," Peanut said.

Matt pushed off the couch, giving up his space to greet them upright. "Finish the movie, we'll be in there."

Jessica roughly shook him, checking him for injuries in her normal way - but he was off the drugs and taking full breaths on his own and passed her test. "You been hiding kids this whole time - months?"

"'Hiding' being the point, and yes. It didn't start that way but - " he started but Frank was taking his turn, hugging the shit out of him while frisking him thoroughly.

"You should've said something - I get the hiding, but - the fuck?" Frank demanded, gruff when he finished patting him down and grabbed his chin for a shake.

"You had your own shit, everyone has their own shit," Matt replied.

Jess pushed a stool behind him and he sat down, apparently needing a lecture. "Talk."

"Sisters told me the government was plucking kids out of the orphanages around town, and since I have enough government contacts to know that was bullshit - I started sniffing around. Ran into Doctor Strange and we've been grabbing the kids before they could. It took me getting snatched to get us some real intel - we've been working the case for, well, months," Matt said.

"You got snatched? You, with your 360 Doppler Radar, got snatched?" Jessica asked.

Ducky chimed in, joining them at the adult table. "Pretty sure they darted him with the same juice they used to catch me - put him out for days, freaked the witches right out."

"Witches?" Jessica and Frank asked together.

"Right, you know how Danny and his little group are meditating for guidance in Tibet? Well, the group that wants the kids claims they're following a prophecy - they've got a lot of people in on it. Waited until the big hitters went to the moon base to start making their play," Matt said.

"Yeah, well, when I thought I dropped the backup ball, I called Luke and they'll be back in the city next week. You got kids, Matt, did you think we wouldn't have your back with kids involved?" Jessica snapped.

"I knew you would, but I also don't know what I'm dealing with. I have it - had it - under control," he sighed. "But I got the memo - Daredevil will check in with a responsible adult before he goes out, just like the kids."

"He's asked for no deadly force where the kids can see, figured you can help me tweak some of the boobytraps I put up last night," Ducky asked Frank who growled, but allowed himself to be escorted outside.

"You're an asshole," Jessica sighed, cuffing him on the back of the head. "I knew that already, my feelings are totally not hurt - but that fucker might need a conversation."

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, I'm just - really tired of secrets, it's making me sloppy," Matt admitted.

"Considering how your circle locked down - didn't seem too sloppy. I'm not the best with kids, but I want in on this whole protection detail."

"I would appreciate another set of eyes on it, mine aren't working too well lately," he grinned.

She kissed his cheek. "Talk to Frank, he's back in town for good and Danny and Luke will be crashing at mine. We'll need instructions to get the Defenders back on the grid."

"They didn't make any progress with the whole - "

"Meditating for wisdom? Not so much and Luke is pissed. He's mad that you're the only one that's managed to do anything - productive since the skies went dim."

"Foggy says farming's going well in space, so maybe we'll have fresh food again before we hit forty," Matt said.

"Fuck your moon berries."

* * *

Jessica and Ducky hit it off entirely too well but were a worthy distraction for the kids when the board games were brought out. He met Frank on the roof and was a little surprised, and a lot pleased, when he slid an arm around him and led him to the edge.

"Listen."

He listened. Nothing sounded new, or out of place but - the jingle of a collar. "Max?"

"Got a squat three buildings down. You gonna let me in now?"

He leaned his head on Frank's shoulder. "Wasn't keeping you out on purpose, not entirely. I have a lot of things in motion."

"But you still find time to come out when I need you. Didn't think I'd do the same for you?"

"I didn't need you, yet. It wasn't a mission."

Frank grunted. "You said two of those kids were yours."

"Pumpkin's got magic and Honey's fast, unusually fast. They can't stay at the orphanage and - until we fix the world and find a better home for them - they're safe with me." He inhaled the chemically-tinged night air. "I promised we'd keep each other safe and I - can't make that promise for you. I've never been able to keep you safe - had to send Foggy to the goddamn moon to - "

Frank covered his mouth. "Shut up. I get it."

"Really?" Matt mumbled against his palm.

"No, but it always takes me a bit to adjust to your fucked up thinking process."

Matt waited patiently for Frank to lower his hand. "If you're going to be around, I've got some work I'd love to send your way."

"Guess that depends on if any of your kids are available to dog-sit," Frank replied. "Since when do you fuck with magic?"

"I'm not, I'm just looking out for the kids - do you really think I'd associate with Dr. Strange if I didn't have to?"

Frank snorted. "He was your favorite Avenger when you playing tag-team with those assholes."

He poked him. "You promised never to tell - Natasha would kill me."


End file.
